


seven; a poet's number

by darlingconstellations



Category: James Bond (Movies)
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/F, Hong Kong, I HOPE Y'ALL LIKE IT, Q-centric, and was immediately inspired to write my own hk based piece, i read this city oh how it sings, updated for formatting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 22:07:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14198676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darlingconstellations/pseuds/darlingconstellations
Summary: “Seven million people in this city, and one to be killed by 007.”“How poetic. Chasing seven stolen hard drives too.”





	seven; a poet's number

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [this city, oh how it sings](https://archiveofourown.org/works/603959) by [skylights](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skylights/pseuds/skylights). 



> uh. I'm not really sure what to say here. enjoy

一

“Seven million people in this city, and one to be killed by 007.” Q stands in a corner of a crowded train, looking across to the other end of the carriage. The disinterested stare she receives back from the agent masks the amusement in the reply she receives through her earpiece.

 

“How poetic. Chasing seven stolen hard drives too.” The last part is muttered under her breath as the train doors open to a flood of morning commuters. 

 

Q glances up at the blinking lights of the overhead map of the MTR system, noting their location. Tsim Sha Tsui; where tourists flock to experience the real Hong Kong, big brands and cha chaan teng all wrapped up in a bow. 

  _The next station is: Admiralty._

 

二

 

A little girl in a school uniform wraps a lanyard around her hand. 

 

“Help, Mama, I can’t breathe! The snake’s got me!” 

 

Q watches as Bond smiles at the child, the agent’s eyes turning soft at the exchange. She is reminded of the notes in Bonds unredacted file.

 

 

 

> _Languages: English, French, German, Russian, Cantonese_

 

She thinks back to the last time she accessed her own file, remembering the letters disappearing one by one as she erased herself, leaving only one letter behind. Q.

 

三

 

Dressed in a grey pantsuit and ill-fitting blazer, hair pulled into a low ponytail, Q looks every inch the average office worker.  Walking a couple of metres apart from her is Bond, blonde hair pulled up in tight bun and lips a dark crimson, striking as ever in the image of the all-important yet ubiquitous expat CEO. Their strides are in tandem, as if their bodies could match each other heartbeat for heartbeat.

They exit the crowded station, eyes up and searching for any sign of danger. Just because they’re there to intercept a drop off doesn’t mean it will end that way. That’s why a Double-Oh agent had been sent after all, to prevent the Quartermaster from dying an untimely death. Heavily encrypted hard drives or not, MI6’s most important asset would be the most knowledgeable person available for the mission at hand. Hong Kong was in her past, and in her blood.

 

四

 

Bond and Q walk in to the busy café, the former heading for the growing queue at the cashier, the latter sitting down at a miraculously empty table. Q pulls out her laptop, angling the screen so that the content would be near invisible to passers-by. The security feeds from surrounding cameras prove to be looped, just as they had suspected they would be. She pretends to fumble in her bag for her phone, one eye trained on the screen in front of her. Q pretends to dial a number, covering for her conversation with Bond.

 

“Cameras are looped, target not in sight.”

 

“Bathroom?” It would be a good place to stay under the radar.

 

“Bathroom.” Q confirms. “Oh and… Bond? Do try not to leave too much of a mess for the clean-up?”

 

“No promises.” Bond’s reply is dry, with a touch of amusement. The connection cut off.

 

Q sighs and sets to dealing with whoever decided to meddle with the cameras.

 

五

 

A pained grunt in Q’s ear signals the connection between her and Bond being re-established.

 

“007. Status report.”

 

The reply is grim. “Target eliminated. Drives were taken.”

 

“What? Bond! Our main objective is to retrieve those hard drives.”

 

“That’s why I put a tracker on the buyer. He’ll turn up.” Bond’s breaths are evening out, but Q can detect a slight hitch.

 

“007, are you injured?”

 

“Just a flesh wound.” This is heard from directly behind her.

 

Q turns in her seat to see Jamie Bond in all her post-altercation glory. Suit somehow still perfectly in place, lipstick immaculate, not a hair out of place save for the slight spots of blood on her left cuff. Bond is holding her jacket over her right arm, no doubt concealing a gaping wound. 007 smirks slightly, and Q understands now why they call her a shark.

 

“Bloody hell, Bond. What happened?”

 

“There were a couple more thugs than expected. They’ve been taken care of.” The click of Bond’s heels is loud when she moves to sit opposite Q, snagging the paper cup of Earl Grey that had been ordered at some point, taking a quick sip with a wink.

 

Q frowns slightly, but acquiesces.

 

“Well then, the hunt is on, 007.”

 

六

 

“This, Bond, is Hong Kong.” Q is leading the pair of them through the streets of Mong Kok, swift side-steps around lunch-goers and rowdy tourists. They are tailing the buyer, weaving a pattern around market stalls of kitschy trinkets and knock-off brand name products.

 

“Q, I thought you weren’t a field agent.” Bond mutters as she spots the buyer again.

 

“I’m not.” Q quips back with a smile.

 

“Why did Mallory send you into the field on this one then? Why not send R, or some other tech?” Bond asks.

 

“Because, 007, this was my home once. Not to mention, I have a knack for sleight of hand, which is useful in a city like this.” Q had casually brushed forward past the buyer and right around the corner of the street, disappearing into an alcove. In her hands was the bag containing the very hard drives they had been sent to collect. Bond smiles as the buyer cries out, trying to chase after the woman who had just disappeared.

 

“Nicely done, Quartermaster, nicely done.” She huffs out before striking out and wrapping her arm around the neck of the buyer, trapping him.

 

The man caught in her arms writhes, unable to breathe in the tight hold. She drags his limp body into the alcove with Q, presenting him like an offering.

 

七

 

The smell of burning incense fills the air, smoke drifting towards the heavens from that niche in the wall. Q stands facing the shrine, three joss sticks in her two hands. She bows, once, twice, then a third time. She places the sticks in the bowl of ashes, still with two hands. She steps back.

 

“ _Baba. It’s been a while._ ” The words stick in her throat, but they come out nevertheless. Something throbs in her chest, an ache long healed beginning to smart again. “ _I found who leaked your identity to the Mainland. He ended up being given up in exchange for the other 6 who managed to stay alive out of the 7 of you, the compromised agents. His name was Rodriguez. Tiago Rodriguez. He almost took us down too. But M, Mansfield. I couldn’t save her from his wrath.”_

 

Bond is waiting outside for her, having disposed of the body of the buyer. The hard drives have been recovered and re-encrypted. Their flight back to London leaves in two hours.

 

Q smiles a little at the thought, the ache in her chest settling into something warmer. _“I brought a friend. Jamie. You would have liked her, I think.”_


End file.
